Soft Pumpkin Cookies

My neighbor Sarah knocked on my door last Tuesday holding an empty plate and begging for the Soft Pumpkin Cookies recipe I’d shared at our block party. Her kids had demolished the entire batch before dinner, and she was facing a minor household revolt. I laughed because the same thing happened at my house – my husband literally hid a dozen in his office desk drawer “for emergencies.”

These aren’t your typical fall cookies that crumble and let you down. They’re melt-in-your-mouth soft—like biting into a warm hug laced with brown sugar and cozy autumn spices. The secret is that extra pumpkin puree that keeps them tender for days, plus my grandma’s trick of slightly underbaking them so they stay pillow-soft.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Listen, I’ve tried more pumpkin cookie recipes than I can count, and most of them end up either way too cakey or dry as dust. But these? They strike that perfect balance—soft enough to sink your teeth into, but still hold their shape when you dunk them in coffee. My mother-in-law asked for the recipe after one bite, and that woman has never asked me for anything cooking-related in fifteen years of marriage.

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📝 Ingredient List

Cookie Dough:

• 1/2 cup butter (I use salted, but unsalted works)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (dark gives more flavor)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (Libby’s brand)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Cream Cheese Frosting (if you want it):

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Tiny pinch of salt

🔍 Why These Ingredients Work

Here’s what I learned after burning through six cans of pumpkin puree last fall: brown sugar is everything. White sugar makes them too sweet and doesn’t give you that chewy texture we’re after. The pumpkin puree obviously adds flavor, but it’s also our secret weapon for moisture – these cookies stay soft for days because of it. I use pumpkin pie spice instead of mixing individual spices because, honestly, who has time for that? The baking soda and baking powder combo gives them just enough lift without making them fluffy. And that sea salt? It makes the brown sugar taste even more amazing.

Essential Tools and Equipment

Big mixing bowl, electric mixer (mine’s ancient but it works), cookie scoop or spoon, baking sheets, parchment paper, wire rack for cooling. That’s it. Don’t overthink the equipment part.

👩🍳 How To Make Soft Pumpkin Cookies

1. Heat your oven to 350°F and grab some parchment paper for your baking sheets. I learned this the hard way – skip the parchment and you’ll be scraping cookie bits off your pans for weeks.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar for about a minute until it looks fluffy. My stand mixer makes this super easy, but a hand mixer works fine too. You’ll know it’s ready when the color lightens up.
3. Add the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla and mix until everything’s combined. Don’t freak out if it looks a little orange and lumpy – that’s normal.
4. Toss in your spices – the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I always forget the salt, so I actually measure it out first now.
5. Dump in the flour and mix just until you can’t see any white streaks. Seriously, don’t overthink this part. The dough should look like thick cake batter.
6. Chill time – if your dough is super sticky (this happens when my kitchen is warm), I stick it in the fridge for 20 minutes. If it’s cooperating, skip this step.
7. Scoop onto your prepared sheets – I use a cookie scoop for even sizes, but a spoon works too. Leave about 2 inches between cookies because they spread a little.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges look set but the centers still seem a bit soft. They’ll look underbaked, but trust me on this one.
9. Let them rest on the hot pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. This prevents them from falling apart.
10. Frost if you want – I usually eat half the batch plain and frost the other half for the kids.

Tips from Well-Known Chefs

My friend who went to culinary school told me room temperature ingredients mix way better. She’s right. Also, never trust a timer completely – your nose knows when cookies are done. They should smell amazing but not toasted.

❗ You Must Know

Do NOT overbake these cookies. I cannot stress this enough. The first time I made them, I kept them in the oven until they “looked done” and ended up with pumpkin-flavored hockey pucks. They should look slightly underdone when you pull them out – the residual heat from the pan finishes the job.

Personal Secret: I always make the dough the night before and let it chill overnight. The flavors get better, and the cookies hold their shape perfectly. Also, I press a few mini chocolate chips on top of half the batch before baking – my kids think I’m a genius.

💡 Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

My biggest mistake was trying to make these on a humid day without chilling the dough first. The cookies spread everywhere and looked like orange pancakes. Now I always chill the dough if my kitchen feels sticky.

Room temperature ingredients mix better, so I take my butter and egg out about an hour before baking. If you forget (like I do constantly), soften the butter in 10-second microwave bursts. Don’t store these cookies in the fridge – they get hard and lose that perfect chewy texture.

🎨 Flavor Variations & Suggestions

I’ve experimented with these cookies more than I care to admit. Mini chocolate chips are fantastic, but chopped pecans give them a nice crunch that balances the soft texture. My sister swears by adding a handful of butterscotch chips – weird, but it works.

For adults, I sometimes add a tablespoon of bourbon to the dough (reduce the vanilla slightly). The kids get the regular version, obviously. A drizzle of caramel on top instead of frosting is also incredible if you’re feeling fancy.

⏲️ Make-Ahead Options

These cookies are perfect for busy weekends. I make the dough on Sunday night, scoop it onto parchment-lined sheets, and freeze the whole thing. Once they’re solid, I dump them into freezer bags. Then I can bake six cookies whenever someone needs a treat – just add two extra minutes to the baking time.

The baked cookies freeze beautifully too. I wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then toss them in a freezer bag. They thaw in about 30 minutes and taste just as good as fresh.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

The biggest lesson I learned was about pumpkin puree brands. Libby’s is more consistent than store brands, which can be watery. If your dough seems too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time until it holds together.

These cookies are meant to be soft and tender, not crispy. If you accidentally overbake them, stick a piece of bread in the storage container overnight – it’ll soften them right up. I learned this trick from my grandmother, who never met a cookie she couldn’t fix.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

These cookies are perfect with my morning coffee – the pumpkin flavor isn’t too sweet, so they work for breakfast (don’t judge me). My kids love them in their lunch boxes, and they’re sturdy enough not to crumble. For parties, I arrange them on a platter with some apple slices and call it a fall spread.

If you want to get fancy, warm them for 15 seconds in the microwave and serve with vanilla ice cream. The contrast between the warm, soft cookie and cold ice cream is pretty amazing.

🧊 How to Store Your Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Keep them in a container with a tight lid at room temperature. They’ll stay soft for 3-4 days. Don’t put them in the fridge – they get hard and weird.

If you frost them, then yeah, fridge them. But eat them within a week.

I freeze the unfrosted ones all the time. Just wrap them individually in plastic wrap first, then throw them in a freezer bag. They thaw out perfect in about 30 minutes.

⚠️ Allergy Information

These have wheat, eggs, and dairy. If you need gluten-free, swap the flour for that 1-to-1 gluten-free stuff. For dairy-free, use plant butter instead of regular butter and skip the frosting unless you want to make it with dairy-free cream cheese.

My nephew can’t have eggs, so I’ve used those flax eggs before (mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water, let it sit for 5 minutes). Works fine.

❓ Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Why are these cookies so soft?

It’s the pumpkin puree. All that moisture keeps them from getting dry and crumbly like regular cookies. Plus I underbake them slightly on purpose.

Do I have to chill the dough?

Only if it’s too sticky to work with. If you can scoop it without it sticking to everything, you’re good to go.

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?

Sure, but you’ll need to cook it down and remove extra water. Honestly, canned is easier and more consistent. I’ve tried both.

How long do they last?

About 3-4 days in a container at room temperature. They actually get better after day one when the flavors settle in.

Can I make these ahead for guests?

Absolutely. I make them the day before parties all the time. Just don’t frost them until the day you’re serving them.

I hope these become your go-to fall cookies! My kitchen always smells like autumn when I make them, and there’s something so satisfying about pulling a pan of perfectly soft cookies out of the oven. Give them a try and let me know what you think – I bet they’ll become a family favorite at your house too.

💬 Make these cookies and tell me about it! Did you add chocolate chips? How did the kids like them? I love hearing about your kitchen adventures, especially when they involve cookies. Leave me a comment below and let me know how they turned out